Systems and methods for a protective cover for a mobile device

Abstract

A protective cover for a mobile device includes reinforced crush structures along peripheral sides of the protective cover that absorb or deflect forces that may otherwise damage the mobile device. Further, the protective cover includes cutout portions along peripheral sides of a rigid body of the protective cover that provides improved deflection of a portion of the rigid body to enable the protective cover to receive or release the mobile device and can also provide flexibility for the rigid body along the corners if dropped. In one aspect, a pliable body can be formed around the rigid body and includes various structural features that mechanically couple with one another along all three axes in 3-D space to reduce the chance of unintentional decoupling.

1 . A protective cover for a mobile device, comprising:
 a rigid body having a rigid crush perimeter, the rigid crush perimeter including one or more rigid crush ribs along a first peripheral side and a second peripheral side of the rigid body; and   a pliable body that at least partially encapsulates the rigid crush perimeter, the pliable body including a pliable crush perimeter including one or more pliable crush ribs along the one or more rigid crush ribs of the rigid crush perimeter.   
     
     
         2 . The protective cover of  claim 1 , the rigid body including a web that spans the rigid crush perimeter, the web and rigid crush perimeter collectively defining a cavity configured to receive a mobile device therein. 
     
     
         3 . The protective cover of  claim 2 , wherein the web includes one or more coupling sections that include a plurality of web perforations, and wherein the pliable crush perimeter includes a web window having an inner layer, an outer layer, and a plurality of web connectors that connect the inner layer to the outer layer through the plurality of web perforations. 
     
     
         4 . The protective cover of  claim 1 , the pliable crush perimeter including an inner membrane that lines an interior of the rigid crush perimeter and contacts a mobile device when the mobile device is positioned within a cavity of the rigid body. 
     
     
         5 . The protective cover of  claim 4 , wherein the inner membrane defines a display bezel that surrounds a display of the mobile device when the mobile device is captured within the cavity, the display bezel including a plurality of corner bezel reliefs configured to reduce stretching of the inner membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The protective cover of  claim 1 , the pliable crush perimeter including an outer membrane, the outer membrane including the one or more pliable crush ribs that at least partially encapsulates an exterior of the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         7 . The protective cover of  claim 6 , the one or more pliable crush ribs extending beyond the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         8 . The protective cover of  claim 6 , the outer membrane including a pliable crush wall between the one or more pliable crush ribs, the pliable crush wall extending beyond the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         9 . The protective cover of  claim 6 , wherein a lateral side of the rigid crush perimeter includes an outer lateral surface, and wherein the outer membrane defines an angled capture section that captures a portion of the outer lateral surface of the lateral side of the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         10 . The protective cover of  claim 1 , the rigid crush perimeter including a rigid crush wall between the one or more rigid crush ribs, the rigid crush wall being encapsulated within an outer membrane of the pliable crush perimeter. 
     
     
         11 . The protective cover of  claim 10 , wherein the rigid crush perimeter includes a corner associated with the first peripheral side or the second peripheral side of the rigid body, and wherein the outer membrane of the pliable crush perimeter includes a corner membrane that encapsulates the corner. 
     
     
         12 . The protective cover of  claim 11 , wherein the corner membrane of the pliable crush perimeter includes an interior void that is configured to receive a tongue portion of a rigid crush rib of the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         13 . The protective cover of  claim 11 , wherein the corner of the rigid crush perimeter includes a tongue portion that terminates in a free end portion, the tongue portion being associated with a rigid crush rib of the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         14 . The protective cover of  claim 13 , wherein the free end portion of the tongue portion defines a plurality of corner coupling interlock elements and wherein the corner membrane includes a plurality of complementary corner coupling interlock elements that insert into the plurality of corner coupling interlock elements of the free end portion of the tongue portion. 
     
     
         15 . The protective cover of  claim 11 , wherein the corner of the rigid crush perimeter includes a cutout portion that separates a tongue portion from a rear portion of the rigid crush perimeter and allows flexion of a rigid crush rib and a rigid crush wall of the rigid crush perimeter away from a default position. 
     
     
         16 . The protective cover of  claim 15 , wherein a corner membrane of the pliable crush perimeter encapsulates the corner of the rigid crush perimeter and includes a pliable spacer that absorbs impact forces associated with flexion of the rigid crush rib and the rigid crush wall towards a cavity of the rigid crush perimeter. 
     
     
         17 . The protective cover of  claim 16 , wherein the pliable spacer includes a complementary mechanical interlock element that engages a mechanical interlock element of a lateral side of the rigid crush perimeter to prevent decoupling of the rigid body from the pliable body during flexion of the rigid crush rib and the rigid crush wall of the rigid crush perimeter away from the default position. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 forming a rigid body of a protective cover for a mobile device, the rigid body including:
 a rigid crush perimeter, the rigid crush perimeter including one or more rigid crush ribs along a first peripheral side and a second peripheral side of the rigid body; and 
   forming a pliable body of the protective cover around the rigid body that at least partially encapsulates the rigid crush perimeter, the pliable body including:
 a pliable crush perimeter including one or more pliable crush ribs along the one or more rigid crush ribs of the rigid crush perimeter. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , the pliable crush perimeter including an inner membrane that lines an interior of the rigid crush perimeter and contacts a mobile device when the mobile device is positioned within a cavity of the rigid body, wherein the inner membrane defines a display bezel that surrounds a display of the mobile device when the mobile device is captured within the cavity, the display bezel including a plurality of corner bezel reliefs configured to reduce stretching of the inner membrane. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a corner of the rigid crush perimeter includes a cutout portion that separates a tongue portion from a rear portion of the rigid crush perimeter and allows flexion of a rigid crush rib and a rigid crush wall of the rigid crush perimeter away from a default position.